Fire-stopping product

Abstract

A fire-stopping material in a panel for an interior building wall is provided. The fire-stopping material includes a resilient, porous material at least partially impregnated with an intumescent agent.

We claim: 
     
       1. A sandwich panel for an internal building wall comprising:
 first and second boards, the first board extending lengthwise parallel to the second board and being transversely spaced apart from the second board and defining a gap therebetween extending parallel to the first and second boards, the first and second boards each defining a thickness, 
 a fire-stopping material located in the gap, the fire-stopping material including a resilient, porous material at least partially filled throughout with an intumescent agent, the fire-stopping material having a thickness greater than the thickness of the first board and greater than the thickness of the second board, 
 wherein the fire-stopping material is in the form of a strip with an elongate support, 
 wherein the panel is configured to receive a service element extending transversely and completely through the first and second boards, and the fire-stopping material, 
 wherein the service element is a pipe, a conduit or cable and being in direct contact with the fire-stopping material when extended through the first and second boards, and 
 wherein the resilient, porous material comprises a polyurethane (PU) open-cell foam with a porosity of 10-100 pores per lineal inch. 
 
     
     
       2. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the intumescent agent includes at least one of: graphite, polyphosphate, melamine, pentaerythritol, titanium dioxide and exfoliated vermiculite. 
     
     
       3. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the intumescent agent comprises graphite. 
     
     
       4. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the intumescent agent comprises graphite and ammonium polyphosphate. 
     
     
       5. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the resilient, porous material to the intumescent agent is from 1:0.2 to 1:6. 
     
     
       6. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the fire-stopping material of the invention is used in conjunction with a slab of insulation between the two boards. 
     
     
       7. The panel according to  claim 6 , wherein the fire-stopping material and the slab of insulation together completely fill the gap. 
     
     
       8. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein fire-stopping material completely fills the gap. 
     
     
       9. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one major face of the fire-stopping material comprises a smoke-impermeable coating. 
     
     
       10. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein one or both of the boards is a plasterboard. 
     
     
       11. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the resilient, porous material is provided with an impregnating agent comprising the intumescent agent. 
     
     
       12. The panel according to  claim 11 , wherein the impregnating agent comprises at least one liquid medium and a binder for binding solid components of the impregnating agent to the resilient, porous material. 
     
     
       13. The panel according to  claim 12 , wherein the impregnating agent is dried once impregnated into the resilient, porous material such that only traces of liquid medium remain in the resilient, porous material. 
     
     
       14. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the resilience of the resilient, porous material is such that, when given a compression to 50% of the original thickness, it resets to at least 75% of the original thickness. 
     
     
       15. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the fire-stopping material is attached to the first board such that the fire-stopping material does not completely fill the gap. 
     
     
       16. The panel according to  claim 15 , wherein the first board comprises a first main surface facing into the gap, and wherein the fire-stopping material extends lengthwise across the first board and covers the first main surface of the first board. 
     
     
       17. The panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the fire-stopping material is in the form of strips, wherein a first strip is attached to the first board, and a second strip is attached to the second board. 
     
     
       18. The panel according to  claim 17 , wherein the first board comprises a first main surface facing into the gap, and wherein the first strip extends lengthwise across the first board and covers the first main surface of the first board, and wherein the second board comprises a first main surface facing into the gap, and wherein the second strip extends lengthwise across the second board and covers the first main surface of the second board. 
     
     
       19. An internal building wall comprising the sandwich panel of  claim 1 .